Sirach 49

¹ Reise thou stronge veniaunce, and schede out ire; ² take awei the aduersarie, and turmente the enemye. ³ Haaste thou the tyme, and haue thou mynde on the ende, that thei telle out thi merueils. ⁴ And he that is sauyd, be deuourid in the ire of flawme; and thei that treten worst thi puple, fynde perdicioun. ⁵ Al to-breke thou the heed of princis, and of enemyes, seiynge, Noon othere is, outakun vs. ⁶ Gadere thou togidere alle the lynagis of Jacob, and knowe thei that no God is, no but thou, that thei telle out thi grete dedis; and thou schalt enherite hem, as at the bigynnyng. ⁷ Haue thou merci on thi puple, on which thi name is clepid in to help; and on Israel, whom thou madist euene to thi firste gendrid sone. ⁸ Haue thou merci on Jerusalem, the citee of thin halewyng, on the citee of thi reste. ⁹ Fille thou Syon with thi vertues, that moun not be teld out, and fille thi puple with thi glorie. ¹⁰ Yyue thou witnessyng, that at the bigynnyng thei weren thi creaturis; and reise thou preieris, whiche the formere profetis spaken in thi name. ¹¹ Lord, yyue thou meede to hem that abiden thee, that thi prophetis be foundun trewe; and here thou the preier of thi seruauntis. ¹² Aftir the blessyng of Aaron yyue thou to thi puple, and dresse thou vs in to the weie of riytfulnesse; that alle men wite, that dwellen in erthe, that thou art God, the biholdere of worldis. ¹³ The wombe schal ete alle mete, and o mete is betere than another mete. ¹⁴ Chekis touchen mete almest, and an vnwise herte resseyueth false wordis. ¹⁵ A schrewid herte schal yyue heuynesse, and a wijs man schal ayenstonde it. ¹⁶ A womman schal take ech knaue child, and a douytir is betere than a sone.